A Fire Devastated our Mart’s House

June 18, 2019

We Need Your Support Now More Than Ever

Mart’s House before the fire

Mart’s House after the fire

On Saturday, June 15th, our Mart’s House reentry home on Capen St. in Hartford was devastated by a major fire. The seven women who were living at Mart’s are safe, but they lost everything. (Learn more about Mart’s House)

Though we were able to move the women temporarily into another CPA residential building, it is not a permanent solution. The owner wants to rebuild Mart’s House so that women, who are returning home from prison, will have a comfortable and safe place to live while preparing to live on their own. Unfortunately, we don’t know the timeframe for this happening.

Our Resettlement Program’s Mart’s House was more than a house—it was a home. We were able to open Mart’s House in 2008 due to the generosity, volunteerism, and passion of our supporters. The decor was warm, inviting and supportive. Each woman had her own bedroom. It is very hard for people to find housing when they return home from prison. Mart’s House allows the women to set that worry aside while they prepare to live on their own.

These pictures are just a glimpse of what Mart’s House looked like before the fire.

A bedroom before the fire

Kitchen before the fire

Office before the fire.

While insurance will cover much of the loss, the cost of the women living in our Washington Street building is nearly 4 times that of them living in Mart’s House.

We really need your help.

Resettlement is 100% funded by donors’ gifts and grants. Mart’s House has been underfunded since 2016 when the budget crisis resulted in the state canceling the Resettlement Program contract. Your donation will help us to continue operating the home in our temporary location, and to bring Mart’s House back online and thriving well into the future.

Please consider a donation today to our Resettlement Program during this difficult time. Any amount will help.

If you have any questions or want to know additional ways you can help, contact: Sandra Bradford-Jennings, sbradford-jennings@cpa-ct.org, 860-271-7198.